Charity Electric Umbrella has been busy working on a new Christmas song featuring a host of stars performing alongside the learning disabled community.
The charity has also been preparing a Great Christmas Online Singalong, and an album of songs, entitled Sunflower Avenue, which is due out in February.
When COVID-19 struck in March, Electric Umbrella, a Watford based charity who use music to enrich the lives of people with learning disabilities, rapidly moved online.
Their online magazine show called Electric Umbrella TV attracted very well known guests, including Sophie Ellis- Bextor, Tony Hadley, The Feeling’s Dan Gillespie Sells, Toyah Wilcox and many more.
Many of these guests have contributed their talents and voices to the album and Christmas single.
The single, called The Best Christmas (In Lockdown), combines over 100 voices of celebs and musicians alongside their learning disabled performers.
Mel Boda, CEO of Electric Umbrella, said: “For many people with learning disabilities, living a life of isolation is something quite familiar to them already. The closure of activities, loss of routine, purpose and regular connection due to restrictions, has exasperated this situation leading to increased pressure on individuals and the families supporting them, with a tremendous impact on wellbeing.
We’ve worked really hard to provide slick and professional uplifting shows designed to entertain and reduce that isolation.
They offer a place for people with learning disabilities to feel safe and secure, meet friends, provide regular and meaningful social interaction, find a new routine and a chance to enjoy live music and the bond of community singing – something we know is incredibly powerful, but sadly missing right now.”
The charity is regularly joined on zoom by a group of children in Kampala, Uganda singing their theme tune and wearing their very own Electric Umbrella T-shirts.
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